


Sobriety is Overrated

by Josephine (Lovellama)



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, First Kiss, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-09
Updated: 2005-10-09
Packaged: 2017-10-02 17:07:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovellama/pseuds/Josephine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in response to a First Kiss Challenge on the Linguistics Database</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sobriety is Overrated

Trip, Hoshi, Malcolm, and Travis stumbled out of the decon chamber. Ninety minutes under the blue lights had given them some much-needed rest, but the away team was still bone weary. Silently they made their way down the corridors to their cabins, occasionally leaning on and supporting each other.

Stopping outside his cabin, opening the door, Trip looked at the rest of the group. "I need a drink. Anyone want t' join me?"

Travis just walked in, Malcolm a moment later, pushed by Hoshi. Trip dug down in his closet and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels, looking around vainly for glasses. Only finding one in the bathroom, he gallantly offered it to Hoshi with a bow, filling it to the brim and passing the bottle around to the guys.

Hoshi raised her tumbler. "May we never have to go through that again."

"A-bloody-men," mumbled Malcolm, as he took a long pull off the bottle.

\---------

"… that's not a gorilla, that's my wife!"

Another ninety minutes and the gang of four was sprawled out on the floor of the cabin, propped up on various surfaces. Travis had been telling very bad jokes for the past ten. Hoshi had quickly abandoned her cup and started drinking from the bottle too.

She took the bottle from Malcolm and peered at it, holding it up to the light. "I thought whiskey was supposed to be brown."

"H'it is," Trip grumbled.

"This one's clear." Hoshi shook the bottle in front of his face.

The boys looked cross-eyed at the swaying container.

"It's all gone." Travis sounded pleased, having figured that out all by himself.

"Hmph." Moving the bottle slightly, Hoshi watched the light refracting through the glass. She put it down and set it spinning with a flick of the wrist. "Spin the bottle!!" she crowed. It eventually slowed, the neck pointing to Trip.

Hoshi crawled over to him, grinning lasciviously. "Pucker up, big boy." She planted a large, sloppy, drawn out kiss on the surprised Southerner. Looking up at him, she giggled, then fell head first into his lap.

"Ah, darlin', I don't' think that's part of the game …" Trip gently turned Hoshi over to find her softly snoring.

Travis lost it, rolling on the floor laughing.

Malcolm blinked a few times. "You want some help getting her back to her cabin?"

"Nah." Trip shook his head. "She can stay here. I'll sleep on th' couch." Gathering Hoshi in his arms, he lifted her onto the bunk.

"Come on, fly boy." Malcolm pulled Travis to his feet. "Time to go home." He ushered the still laughing helmsman out the door.

Tuning back to Hoshi, Trip debated on whether or not to leave her in her uniform. Shrugging, he reached for the zipper. "It's not like I like her or anythin'." He stripped her to her tank and boxers, tossing the jumpsuit in the corner.

Trip swallowed hard as he looked down at an almost naked Hoshi sprawled on his bunk. "Yep," he reiterated, drawing the sheet up with an unsteady hand. "… good thing I don't like her or anythin' …"

 

*****

 

Hoshi was someplace she didn't want to be. She was in a very small boat on a very rough sea getting very, very sick.

With a start she awoke to find out the very small boat and the very rough sea were just a dream, but, as she bolted for the bathroom, the very, very sick part wasn't.

Not until she had finished thoroughly throwing up did she notice the hands that had gathered her hair and plaited it into a braid and were rubbing her back. A cup of water and a tissue were handed to her, and she rinsed her mouth out, wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

Still-bleary eyes looked up to see Trip hovering over her, concern on his face.

"You ok, darlin'?"

"What are you doing in my cabin?" Her eyes dropped. "And in your boxers?"

"You're in my cabin. We all passed around a bottle of Jack last night after the away mission, and you passed out."

"Oh." Struggling to her feet, Hoshi leaned on the wall for support as the room swayed. "I think I'm still drunk."

"Wouldn't doubt it. Come on, back to bed." One arm around her waist, Trip helped Hoshi to the bunk. He eased her down gently, pulling up the sheet again.

"Huh uh." Hoshi pulled on his arm. Caught off balance, Trip fell into the bed, and before he knew it, Hoshi had draped herself over him. "You're the only thing not spinning. I need something to hold onto. And since Sylvester isn't here, you're it." Burrowing deeper against him, she closed her eyes.

"Sylvester?"

"My stuffed slug." With that bit of information, Hoshi dropped off to sleep.

Trip sighed and tried to get comfortable, which was rather hard to do when a half naked woman was practically lying on top of you, the warmth from her skin burning into yours. Especially when you didn't like her or anything.

\----------

Pain. The stabbing kind, right behind the eyes.

Stumbling from her bunk, Hoshi groped her way to the bathroom, eyes tight against any light, moving slowly as not to jar her head, which for some reason hurt like the dickens and was three sizes too big this morning. And why was she so thirsty?

Shower. She needed a shower. Slowly, ever so gently she peeled off her tank and then her boxers. Stepping into the stall, she stood under the hot water, letting the warmth soak into her.

"Ah … Hosh?"

\----------

Trip had spent an uneasy night. On the one hand his bunk was not built for two, and while snuggling up with someone could be rather nice, it wasn't especially when the other person was practically passed out drunk and only using you as a stuffed animal substitute.

Waking up the next morning, Trip took a few minutes to watch Hoshi. Her hair had come out of its braid and was spread over the two of them. He took a strand between his fingers, letting it fall through them. Sighing, Trip placed his cheek on the top of her head. It really was a shame he didn't like her or anything, she fit rather nicely against him …

Easing himself out from under her, Trip went into the bathroom, turning the water to hot, and waited for it to warm up. He looked in the mirror and scratched at the stubble on his chin, grimacing at his reflection. It was becoming harder and harder as he got older to bounce back after a night of drinking. Getting into the shower, Trip went over various Engineering problems in his head. The Captain had given the away team the day off, but he needed to think of something, and if it couldn't be the woman in his bed, it might as well be work.

Besides, he kept telling himself, he didn't like her above half anyway.

Lost in his own Engineering world, Trip didn't know Hoshi was up until she stepped into the shower. He backpedaled against the wall, then froze, trying very hard not to stare at various perky bits as she stood under the spray.

Any minute now and she was going to open her eyes and see him, and all hell would break loose. Well, he didn't go to command school for nothing. Taking a deep breath, Trip seized the initiative.

"Ah … Hosh?"

Yes, Patton would have been proud.

\----------

Hoshi screamed and flew to the other side of the stall. Admittedly that was at best only three feet away from the other side, but it was the thought that counted.

"What are you doing in my cabin? Get out!"

"Hosh, this is my cabin …"

"Oh my God, you're naked!"

"I am in the shower …"

"Oh my God, I'm naked! What are you doing here? Why are you in my shower?"

"Hoshi, it's my shower. Don't you remember last night?"

"Your shower? Last night?" Putting her head in her hands, Hoshi closed her eyes and tried to think, but her headache was making it hard. "We came back from the away mission, you said you wanted a drink, we all came in and passed around the bottle …" She looked at his naked form in growing horror.

"I got drunk, didn't I?"

Trip shrugged. "Yeah."

"And you took advantage of me when I was drunk?" She was across the remaining foot between them in a flash, pounding her fists against his wet chest. "You bastard! Tricking me into having sex with you just because I was drunk is low even for you!"

Hoshi continued to hit Trip, tears mixing in with the water streaming down her face. Suddenly she was pulled into a bear hug, trapped between Trip's body and his arms.

"Hoshi! We didn't … calm down … we didn't have sex! You passed out and I gave you the bunk while I slept on the couch!"

She blinked a few times within the circle of his arms, then hiccupped. "Really? That's all that happened?"

"Well, almost …"

"Tell me everything."

\----------

Trip paused, not sure how much to tell, and if she'd be mad at him afterward. Hoshi would find out some of it from Travis or Malcolm if they remembered, but the rest he might be able to gloss over. Unless she remembered it later, then he'd be in trouble for not telling. Better now than later …

"Ah, well, we polished off the Jack, and when you put th' bottle down you set it t' spinnin', and it ended up pointin' at me."

"And …"

"And then you kissed me." Feeling Hoshi stiffen in his arms, Trip held his breath. But she wasn't trying to pull away, and far be it from him to let her go if she didn't want to.

"Oh."

Trip let out the breath. "And then you passed out face first in m' lap."

Hoshi buried her face in his chest. "Oh God. Please tell me that was it."

"Not exactly. In th' middle of th' night you got sick. I helped you back t' bed, and you pulled me down with you; you said I could stand in for Sylvester."

"I mentioned Sylvester?" Hoshi had turned her head so her cheek was against him now, idly twisting his chest hair around a finger. Trip tried to keep his breathing even. Didn't she know what she was doing? He hoped to God she didn't notice his growing erection pressed against her belly. It must be an automatic reaction, Trip told himself, since he didn't like Hoshi or anything. Yep, that must be it.

"And then you fell asleep." He neglected to add 'draped over me'.

"I'm sorry I hit you." Leaning back slightly, Hoshi lifted her head to look at Trip. Looking down at her, Trip could see the swell of her breasts as they pressed against him. He swallowed hard.

"S'ok, darlin'." Somehow his voice didn't crack. "I'd say you had cause."

"Thought I had cause." Hoshi bowed her head, her hands tightening to fists on his chest, then opening to splay out against the muscles. The light feel of her nails scratching against him sent shivers down Trip's spine.

"Cold?" As she looked up again in concern, he could only see how close her mouth was, little drops of water on her lips; as he stared, her pink tongue slipped out and licked them off.

He cleared his throat. "Naw."

"I … I should get dressed …"

"Yea." Trip forced his mind away from Hoshi's lips, way from the feel of her against him. "I'm done, if you want t' take a shower or somethin'."

"Thanks."

Closing his eyes to give her some privacy, Trip put a hand on the shower wall and felt his way out. He grabbed a towel and scrubbed himself dry, staying away from certain dangerous parts that if he ignored maybe would go away, and cursed at himself for responding to a girl he didn't even like or anything.

\----------

Hoshi turned the water to cold, standing under it until she could get the image of a naked Trip and the feeling of certain perky bits of him pushing against her stomach out of her mind. She lathered up, telling herself just to get dressed and get out as soon as possible. It was just an automatic male reaction to having a naked woman in his arms. What else could it be, since she was sure Trip didn't like her. At least that way. Right?

A towel wrapped around her, Hoshi peeked around the corner of the shower entrance to see Trip leaning against the sink, shaving. "Why don't you use a beard suppressor?"

He grinned at her, cleaning the razor under the water. "Allergic."

"Oh." She slipped by him, eyes on the floor, trying hard not to look at him. Why did Starfleet boxers have to be that electric shade of blue? Scooping up her own boxers and tank, Hoshi fled into the other room.

\----------

Trip sighed as he wiped his face clean of shaving cream. That was almost … domestic just then. The sight of Hoshi's pert bottom as she left the bathroom flashed through his mind. Having no need for the large bath towels, he just kept a few of the smaller ones on hand, which obviously weren't big enough to cover the essential parts of the ship's linguist.

Giving himself a few minutes to banish that image and let Hoshi get dressed, he knocked on the connecting door. At her ok, he walked in the cabin, his stomach tightening as he saw her tank and boxers still in her hands and he realized she was naked under her uniform. Why he would care, Trip didn't want to think about.

"Thanks Trip, for … you know."

"Sure, Hosh. What're friends for?" He answered her shy smile with a wry grin of his own. "So, maybe I'll see ya around, since we have th' day off."

"Yeah, maybe. Well, I should go …" Opening the door, she passed through with a little wave goodbye.

Running a hand through his still damp hair, Trip pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and lay down on his bunk with a stack of PADDs, fully intending to concentrate on various problems in Engineering and not various perky parts of Hoshi Sato.

'Cause it wasn't as if he liked her or anything.

 

*****

 

_Ten days later … _

Perky bits.

Specifically, Hoshi's perky bits.

They haunted Trip.

No matter what he was doing, no matter where he was, something would come up that would remind him of Hoshi's perky bits and he would have to spend too much time trying **not** to think of them.

It was affecting his work. It was affecting his sleep.

But it was worse when she was around.

Now that he knew what she looked like nude, whenever he saw her, no matter what she was doing, she was doing it naked.

Eating lunch? Naked.

On the bridge? Naked.

Talking with some new alien species they had just met? Naked.

Lying on his bunk, calling his name? Naked.

Ok, so only in his imagination did he see her **that** way.

Trip couldn't understand it. Sure, he hadn't gotten laid in awhile, but it wasn't as if he liked her or …

Cutting off that train of thought, Trip started to bang his head against the warp core. Repeatedly.

He did like her that way, and it was about time he faced facts. Those words echoed in his brain, keeping time with the banging of his skull against the core.

Perky bits.

They were going to be the death of him.

\----------

Malcolm watched as Trip downed his sixth beer in ninety minutes. Desperate for something to keep his mind of Hoshi and her bits, Trip had agreed to watch a game of football with the Armory officer. Testament to how bad off he was, Trip stuck around even after finding out that it was soccer, not 'real' football.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Trip looked over at Malcolm. "Talk about what?"

"Why you're bound and determined to get yourself drunk. Although it's going to take awhile drinking that water you Americans call beer."

Not rising to the bait, Trip stared at his empty glass. "Hoshi," he mumbled. "And her bits."

"Hoshi?" Something about the light refracting off the glass jogged Malcolm's memory. "Did something happen between you and Hoshi after the away mission?"

"Naw, not really. Well, she was hung over and got in the shower, not knowin' I was already there, but nothin' happened …"

"So what's the problem? It's not as if you like her or anything." A bad pass by his team distracted Malcolm and made him groan.

"Yeah," said Trip, suddenly tired. He got up and muttered some excuse to Malcolm as he left, his gait remarkable steady for one who had drunk so much in such a short time.

\----------

Perky bits.

Although, if she was honest with herself, it really wasn't a bit. Not by a long shot. But it sure was perky.

Hoshi had successfully avoided Trip for the past ten days, mortified at her behavior in the shower and at the way her thoughts kept straying to his perky part. And his chest. Can't forget that part; how could she, after hiding her face against it in the shower, then seeing it again as he shaved.

Of course his other parts were very nice, but it was always the perky one that she kept coming back to, and how nice it was to be held against that broad chest …

No use thinking about what you won't ever get, she admonished herself. It isn't like he likes you or anything.

Her shift finally over, Hoshi went to her cabin and changed into something more comfortable than her uniform. Cutler had been dumped by Rostov, and a bunch of girls were going to get together to commiserate with Liz and bitch about men in general. Hoshi was quite looking forward to it.

\----------

"Fill'er up, barkeep." Hoshi waved her little glass in the direction of Kelly, who was manning the liqueur bottle. Chocolate, of course. Hoshi and Liz had drunk the lion's share, Liz alternating between raging against and weeping over Rostov as the night went on. At that moment she, Johnson, and Miller were cataloging the attributes of the remaining forty-two crewmen, trying to figure out which one would be granted the honor of dating Liz next.

As Hoshi was unfamiliar with most of them, she just listened for a while as the party wound down. Leaving the crewwomen to their bunks, Hoshi said her farewells and wove her way to the lift, humming tunelessly under her breath.

Exiting on her deck, Hoshi came around a corner and stopped short, almost face to face with the owner of the perky and other parts that had been tormenting her. She frowned, not sure if she had left Liz's mad at men or not.

"Hosh."

She decided not. "Trip."

"How ya doin'?"

Hoshi grinned, biting back a laugh. "Perky." Catching the look on his face, she did laugh.

Grabbing his hand, Hoshi pulled him the remaining two feet to her cabin. She opened the door and yanked him inside, turning to look at him.

"Just perky."

\----------

Trip's fuddled brain couldn't quite believe his ears when Hoshi answered 'Perky', then laughed. He followed along as she drug him to her cabin and said 'Perky' again.

"Perky," he echoed, his voice hoarse. In a daze, he lifted a trembling hand, grazing it across her perky bits. He watched as Hoshi pulled off her shirt and then her bra. Frozen, he couldn't move as she stepped closer, running her hand over the front of his increasingly tight shorts.

"Perky," she agreed.

In a flash all their clothes were removed, and he held Hoshi close as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

"Perky," she said again, taking his head in her hands and bringing it down for a kiss. Trip obliged, kissing her long and deep. He picked her up and placed her on the bunk, lying down next to her.

"Perky," his buzzing self repeated.

Not one second later they both had passed out, asleep.

 

*****

 

Hoshi slowly awoke, becoming aware of someone warm and solid pressed up against her. Sighing happily, she snuggled back into the warmth, pulling him tighter around her. Wrapped up in her lover's arms was one of her favorite ways of waking up.

… lover's arms …

Hoshi's eyes snapped open. She didn't have a lover. So who was behind her? Moving ever so slowly, she rolled over to look into Trip's sleeping face. A double rush of longing and unease ran through her, if that was possible. It must be, as that was definitely what she was feeling. He was so handsome, lying there; his body felt so good against hers, but the reality couldn't be ignored. He was a Commander, she was an Ensign, and they were both drunk last night when they … she shied away from completing that thought. Quite sure of her feelings toward Trip, Hoshi wasn't all that positive he wouldn't wake up regretting what he did.

She sighed again, not so happily this time, and dragged her gaze away from his chest to meet his open eyes. They stared at each other a moment before Trip gave her a half grin.

"We gotta stop meetin' like this, darlin'."

Hoshi's weak smile faded as he pulled up the sheet up over her chest. Those strange double feelings were back. Gratitude that she wasn't naked anymore, chagrin that he didn't want to see her naked. Something must have shown on her face as Trip cupped her cheek with his hand and lifted her head to look at him.

"Nothin' happened, Hosh."

Regret and relief flooded through her. Why couldn't she make up her mind?

"How do you know?"

"I would of remembered."

"We were drunk …"

"Trust me, Hoshi," he said in a low voice. His eyes dropped to watch his thumb trace her bottom lip. "There's no way in hell I could ever forget makin' love to you, no matter what state I was in."

Hoshi could only stare at him. Finally, only one emotion ran through her: fear. She was scared. Scared at what his words meant, scared at what could be between them, scared at how much she wanted it.

Trip gave another self-depreciating half grin at her silence. "I'd better go."

Watching him silently as he dressed, Hoshi tried to force herself say something, anything that would make him stay.

But fear had closed her throat, and let him go without another word.

\----------

Trip stared at the unopened bottle of Wild Turkey on his desk. Somehow he had gotten out of Hoshi's bunk, gotten dressed, gotten through the rest of the day. He had had an early breakfast and a late lunch and skipped dinner all together to make sure he didn't see her. He knew that it would take only two or three shots on an empty stomach before he was drunk enough to forget the look on Hoshi's face that morning.

Part of him wanted to open the bottle to forget, part of him knew it was short term solution at best, and a very small part figured if he did get drunk, then maybe, just maybe, he would see her naked again.

It worked the past two times, didn't it?

Damn Hoshi and her perky bits.

Against his better judgment Trip reached out and cracked the seal, lifting the bottle to his mouth. To hell with a glass, he'd only have to wash it afterward. Tilting back broke the weak bolt on his chair that Trip had been meaning to fix and he fell; fine Kentucky bourbon spilling over him and the floor.

Scrambling to his feet, Trip managed to save little more than half a liter. He grimaced at the mess on the floor and the uncomfortable feel of a wet t-shirt and shorts plastered against him. Taking a long swig, he put the bottle down before getting a towel to clean up the mess and strip off his sodden clothes.

He had turned on the shower and was stuffing anything that had gotten bourbon on it down the laundry chute when his door chime rang. Annoyed at the world in general and himself in particular, Trip yelled out a 'Come in' without stopping to consider the state of undress he was in, or who might be on the other side of that door.

"We already did drunk and a shower, Trip."

He froze, trying to find something, anything he could cover himself with. The bed with its sheets and the bathroom with its towels and the drawers with their clothes were equally far away. Putting on a brave face, Trip cupped his hands in front of him and turned slightly, trying to act like this happened to him every day.

"Hey, Hosh."

\----------

Hoshi had spent the rest of the day alternating between hiding from Trip and screwing up her courage to seek him out and start all over again. But he never came to the bridge that shift, and he wasn't at lunch or dinner.

Staring up at the rivets in her ceiling, Hoshi came to the realization that she was going to have to beard the lion in his den. She got up of the bunk, changed her uniform for something less 'official' looking and went to Trip's cabin.

The first thing she noticed after the door opened was the sight of Trip's naked backside. Then the almost overwhelming smell of alcohol, the steam coming from the bathroom, and the chair lying on the floor. But her eyes kept going back to Trip. She smiled to herself. Maybe this wouldn't be as tough as she thought.

"We already did drunk and a shower, Trip."

She did smile as he panicked, searching for something to cover up with. Finally he turned, and Hoshi tried hard not to laugh at the expression on his face.

"Hey, Hosh."

"What on Earth happened?" Walking up to him, she pressed her fingertips to his chest a few times. "You're all sticky."

"I, ah … spilt a bottle of bourbon all over me."

"And your cabin, it looks like."

"Yeah, well …"

Hoshi smiled at him again. "Go take your shower. I'll let the room air out." As he moved past her, a little imp in Hoshi made her reach out her hand and smack him on the cheek. Trip jumped slightly, then shot a quick glance back at her.

Hoshi could swear he was blushing.

\----------

Trip quickly washed off the bourbon, trying to figure out what Hoshi was doing in his cabin. This was not what he expected, given the tension in the air as he had left her this morning. He toweled off, then looked at the small scrap of terrycloth he was supposed to cover himself in.

A knock at the bathroom door made him start. "You done in there?"

"Ah …"

"Here." The door slid open to show Hoshi holding out boxers, shorts, and a t-shirt, demurely looking away.

"Thanks," he mumbled, grabbing the clothes and frowning at the suspicion of a smirk on her face. Trip got dressed, then looked in the mirror, trying to give himself some courage. He gave up and sighed, and went to see what the girl he almost wished he didn't like or anything wanted.

\----------

The air in the cabin had only marginally cleared by the time Trip came out of the bathroom. Hoshi had straightened as best as she could, but the chair was beyond her expertise and she didn't know what to do with all the little pieces of … whatever they were that Trip was working on. So she had gathered them up in a little pile on the desk, and sat on the bed waiting for him.

"We need to talk," she said as soon as he came out.

Trip stopped short, then nodded, coming over to sit on the other end of the bed.

Taking a deep breath, Hoshi plunged into speech. "How do you feel about me? When you aren't drunk, that is?"

Blinking, Trip thought for a moment. "I like you. You're a nice person. You have a great sense of humor, and are a lot of fun t' be with. You're an excellent linguist, you've saved us too many times t' count."

Hoshi's heart sank at the clinical way Trip was talking. "This morning, from what you said, I had thought maybe …" Her voice trailed off as Hoshi tried to walk the fine line of finding out how Trip felt and not making a complete fool of herself.

The problem was rendered moot as Trip leaned forward and kissed her.

\----------

The alcohol hazed memories of their previous kisses hadn't prepared him for how sweet she would taste. Trip's arm wrapped around Hoshi's waist and he dragged her across the bunk onto his lap. Half of him … ok, more than half of him was waiting for her to pull back and slap him across the face. He groaned in relief as instead she twined her arms about his neck and kissed him back.

For their first sober kiss, it wasn't half bad, he thought, trying to keep some kind of hold of his sanity. But it was lost the next second as Hoshi straddled his waist and pushed him back on the bunk.

Not half bad at all.


End file.
